94th Assembly: Katz and Falk spar over women's issues, fracking

Oct. 8, 2012

Andrew Falk

Written by

Robert Marchant

Steve Katz

Map: 94th Assembly District

Whether it’s minimum wages, energy alternatives, economic development or an ethics probe in Albany, two candidates running for the New York Assembly seat have a lot to disagree about.

Assemblyman Steve Katz, R-Yorktown, doesn’t see eye-to-eye on a range of issues with Democratic challenger Andrew Falk, a Patterson attorney, as he seeks a second term representing the 94th District covering Yorktown, Somers, Putnam Valley, Carmel, Southeast and Patterson. The two recently sparred in a roundtable discussion with editors of The Journal News.

Women’s issues was a top source of friction. Falk criticized Katz for his legislative record, such as not voting for the Fair Pay Act that would require equal pay for women, and seeking to remove public funding for Planned Parenthood.

“I’m proud to be pro-choice. ... And when I see an attack on women’s health, I see it as an attack on public health,” Falk said.

Katz, a veterinarian, bristled at the idea that he was opposed to women’s rights. He said there were already regulations providing equal pay to women, and legislative efforts in Albany were “redundant.” On the issue of Planned Parenthood, he said he was adamant that “I don’t want any taxpayer-funded abortions.”

Katz has been critical of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s role in a scandal in which he approved a settlement with public money to end sexual harassment claims against a powerful Democratic assemblyman.

He called for Silver’s resignation and an independent prosecutor to probe the payout and the funding mechanism behind it.

Falk, implying that Katz was grandstanding on the issue for partisan purposes, said an investigation by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics as well as probes by three separate district attorneys were under way. “Let’s let the facts come out,” he said.

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On the issue of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which releases natural gas by blasting water and chemicals into underground rock formation, the two candidates were in opposition. “Fracking is a bad idea,” Falk said, and he would oppose it.

Katz took a more measured approach. “I will only do it if it’s done properly, if it’s found to be safe and absolutely regulated.”

As to spurring economic growth, Falk said he supported a measure to raise the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 an hour, and he would provide tax credits to businesses whenever they made a new hire.

Katz said he did not support a minimum wage increase, saying it would lead to inflation and more government interference in the private sector, and he dismissed the concept that tax credits could lead to new hirings.

He said he favored an approach to cut back on regulatory hurdles that made the state “unfriendly to business,” in his words, citing regulations in the trucking industry as an example.

He said he also wanted to implement recommendations from the New York State Association of Counties mandate relief statewide, reducing taxes and helping business owners.

Falk cautioned that regulations created “protections for clean air, clean water and a safe-workplace environment.”